Themes

In this section, we will focus on the themes present in “Poverty is a state of mind” by Bernard Hare.…

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Poverty

As the title suggests, the main theme is poverty, but accentuated through different perspectives; it is both about material poverty and poverty of the soul and mind.

Think about how the social policies of the government influence certain groups' prosperity, such as the miners in the story: "A year later, I was plunged right back into poverty …

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Personal development and identity

Looking at the story more closely, we can also find the topic of personal development and identity.

Think about how the circumstances Hare grew up in have influenced his life and his career choice: “I didn’t want to be a mindless thug. Poverty wasn’t working out for me. In 1977, aged 19, I headed to rural Hertfordshi…